A storm in November dumped 4 to 8 inches of snow across the northern part of the state, and few roads had been treated in advance.

That led to backups and breakdowns as commuters struggled to get around. Trips that should have taken 30 minutes turned into hours-long ordeals.

The late deployment of plows and salt trucks angered residents and their lawmakers, who blamed Gov. Phil Murphy for not acting quickly enough.

An Exxon station on the southbound side of Route 23 in Wayne at the height of the afternoons snowfall. After shoveling, an attendant drops some salt on the road surface.
Pedota POY 2018(Photo: Chris Pedota/NorthJersey.com)

To be sure, the storm took state officials by surprise. The forecast changed more quickly than equipment and personnel could be put into place, or for officials to recommend closing schools and offices early.

This time, Murphy kept a close watch on the next round of storms.

"We're ready," he said Thursday. "We're in position to keep New Jersey moving."

Murphy added that he and Transportation Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti would update the public again, likely from the state's traffic "war room" in Woodbridge.

On Thursday, the New Jersey Department of Transportation issued a winter weather congestion alert and advised residents to avoid unnecessary travel and consider working from home, if possible.

For those driving, NJDOT said to allow extra time. It also encouraged people to leave later in the morning to spread out traffic and give road crews extra time to work.

The state spent $92.5 million on winter readiness last year. Materials included nearly 375,000 tons of salt and nearly 1.2 million gallons of brine.

In December, though, some residents and lawmakers accused state officials of over-treating roads for anticipated winter weather.

The objection isn't simply a matter of wasted resources.

Over-salting the road also has a potential environmental toll, as that salt runs off into waterways and into the drinking water system. High levels of sodium chloride in rock salt can strip the lead soldering from pipes in older homes, flushing those lead particles through faucets.

"Dumping additional salt into our waterways will only increase health risks," said Jeff Tittel, director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. "It also harms fish and aquatic species causing environmental damage."

What about NJ Transit?

NJ Transit, which has struggled at times to keep trains and buses running under normal weather conditions, said it anticipated regular service on its rail, bus and light rail lines.

The agency will monitor the storm from its Emergency Operations Center.

"Our operations personnel throughout the state have prepared the transit system, equipment and facilities for weather impacts," said Executive Director Kevin Corbett.

Hundreds of rail cars and locomotives have been "winterized," a process that includes checking onboard heating systems, ventilation, thermostats, weather stripping and electronic components, as well as changing locomotive filters and fuel from a summer blend to a winter blend. pic.twitter.com/wLxvrpolIV